Two people have died in a helicopter crash in the Glenbervie Forest in Northland.

Rescue crews found the wreckage of a crashed Robinson R44 chopper in the forest – near Hikurangi.

It is believed to be a commercial helicopter.

John Ashby – spokesman for Rescue Coordination Centre said the investigation was now being headed by police.

Police said they were investigating what the chopper was doing before it crashed and were identifying the bodies of the people killed.

The crash comes after the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) added Robinson Helicopters to its list of safety concerns last week.

Louisa Patterson – who lost her 18-year-old son James Patterson-Gardner in a chopper crash last year – told the Herald last week the R44 model, which crashed today – claimed 44 lives globally in the past 21 months.